ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · date · march · saw · vault · row · lie · squash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. row — a line
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — to paddle
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — to recline
  18. vault — a safe
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com